One similarity between all
of these countries is the belief
in Santa Claus. However, many
European countries such as Italy
have a different idea of who the
great mailman of Christmas
is.The country of Italy believes
that the sweet and friendly
witch, Befana, is the one who
delivers
all of their gifts and sweets. Iceland’s holiday culture also has a
twist on who delivers gifts on Christmas. The Yule lads are small,
gray-haired dwarves who play tricks and give out gifts to children during
Christmas in Iceland. They are also accompanied by the Yuletide cat, a
bloodthirsty cat who is known to show no mercy, and devour bad and
disobedient children. Certain regions of Europe also like to cherish the
existence of Belsnickel, Santa Claus’ gift-giving sidekick. Belsnickel is
commonly seen as the man who disciplines children for their naughty
acts. However, he is also believed to pass out small candies for children
who have stood well-behaved.
All in all, it’s great to see that we
all have our own ways to celebrate the
holidays and that we can respect each
other’s ways of celebration. No matter
how weird the tradition, the holidays
are meant to bring all together, and to
show your gratitude for all that you
are given. So, I hope that anyone
reading this has a great time over the
holidays, whether it be to celebrate
Christmas, Hanukkah, or even
Kwanzaa.
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